Bystander Syndrome
by Rodidor
Summary: Lance Sweets decided to try something new for once in his life. He ended up gaining more than a new coffee spot. SweetsxOC. AU only in that sense.. Please read and review. I know the summary sucks.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, and welcome to Readerfreak10's (preferably referred to as Rodi) first Bones fanfiction. Just a few things to note: I do not own any aspect of Bones nor do I own Starbucks. The only character I own is May and the fictional coffee shop Javana. Also, this story is **AU** because it was written ages ago before Daisy came into the picture. I have nothing against Daisy. I just never published it until now. I did tweak a few things to bring it up to date. Enjoy:

Story: Bystander Syndrome

_Bystander Syndrome(Genovese Syndrome)- A social phenomena where people observe an emergency situation and yet do not help. The more bystanders the less likely someone will help. _

Sweets just wanted coffee. Work had taken a toll and his book had been a particular point of contention within his life. He was going to have to rethink the greater parts of what he had been creating for a long time. So, here he was in line at the nee coffee shop, Javana, which had opened about two blocks from his house. The play on words was not lost to the young psychologist. Sweets wanted to change up his routine a bit. After hearing that his outlook on certain things was superficial, he decided that a little change was needed. Thus, he wanted start small and to try something other than Starbucks. However, he was starting to regret this decision.

Lance checked his watch impatiently as the woman before him ordered enough drinks to satisfy him, Boot, the team at the Jeffersonian, as well as the museum's security squad. _Maybe it's not too late for Starbucks;_ Sweets thought as he looked at his watch once more. He tapped his Stacy Adams clad feet impatiently earning a mild glare from the woman before him.

Right as he was prepared to turn around and walk out the store, the woman finished ordering and he was then first in line. "Sorry about that," The barista apologized in a low voice. "She does that every day. It's been going on since we opened last month." Lance took a moment as she said this to take in her appearance. The young woman was short with green eyes and honey blond hair. Sweets shrugged and gave her a small smile. "That's no problem…" He trailed off to look at her name tag. "May."

"What would you like sir?" She asked pressing various buttons on the register, which he noticed looked like antique. The slider for credit cards gave it away. "I'd like a caramel Frappuccino with extra caramel and vanilla added in. Oh! And a chocolate muffin," Lance added as an afterthought. His voice came out a little rush and May laughed. "Coming right up." With discretion and quick moving, she was able to slip him his order before the woman before him could notice.

Having paid for his breakfast and escaped from the shop, Lance took the first bite out of his muffin. In that short transient moment from taking that bite to swallowing it, Lance knew that his likeliness of returning to Starbucks was slim to none.

~Bystander Syndrome~

Over the next few weeks, he returned to the coffee shop with near religious frequency. He pinpointed the perfect time to be able to avoid the "coffee guzzler" as he had so dubbed the woman who held up the line that first day. He also got the opportunity to get to know May. Her natural hair color was actually black. She was twenty-two and was about to start graduate school at the University of Richmond in the fall of the next year. She managed to start college as a sophomore thanks to the amount of AP tests she had taken and passed. According to her though, a bad chemistry grade almost cost her admission; but success in physics helped her make it. Barely. Her brother owned the coffee shop and needed help getting it up and running, so she took a year off school to help him out as he traveled looking to find new tastes for his coffee haven. In return for her work, he paid her part time and gave her a really small portion of the shares to go towards her college fund. She wanted to go into International Law, and had spent her undergraduate years getting a Bachelor's in international studies.

One morning he found May sitting in one of the chairs along the window of the shop. It was one of the two big arm chairs and was made out of maroon corduroy. "Lance!" She said putting the large textbook she had in her hands to the side. Her hair was in a messy bun and had a pencil pushed through it. Her glasses and sweatpants were the indicators that she had indeed been studying.

"Hey May, what's up with the text book?" Lance asked sitting down adjacent to her. He had taken a day off to recuperate mentally from a particularly stressful case. "Nothing too serious, just reviewing a few things before I start law school. I used to always tell myself every year that I would get ahead of my class and study things that we hadn't gone over yet, but I never really did until now. I'm glad too. This stuff is intriguing," She said opening her book and showing him some of the points she had highlighted.

"I think I'll stick to my own profession," Sweets said cheekily earning him a light shove from his friend. "Speaking of your profession, I realized how little I actually know about you Lance. What exactly do you do? You aren't all suited up today. I'm shocked; you actually own a pair of tennis shoes." May asked before abruptly standing and going behind the counter. He got up and shrugged before leaning against the counter as she got them a couple of drinks. He was wearing a pair of trainers and work out gear. "Headed towards the gym?" She asked side stepping a rather flustered employee.

Her brother had hired some more employees and she had been appointed to a higher position as store manager. In other words, she got to work on some studying only having to overlook any discrepancies.

"Yeah, I was going that way after I stopped by and got some coffee," Sweets said with a small smile and took his drink once she finished. "As for my job, well I work as a psychologist for the FBI. I mainly counsel some of the agents. I also do a lot of criminal profiling, and I examine multiple suspects to check for any mental anomalies or lying," Sweets said as they walked back to their window seats.

"Geeze, you're rather accomplished for your age though. I feel like I'm leagues behind compared to you. I'm feeling a bit envious right now," May said laughing good naturedly. "Don't. You're totally intelligent yourself from what I've seen. Plus, I get a lot of crap from my colleagues about my age. I'm constantly on the end of baby jokes," Lance admitted raising his hands in surrender making her laugh harder.

They both looked up at the jingling of the bell over the door as a new customer walked in. May, having not recognized the man, went back to her coffee. Sweets on the other hand found himself staring at the figure. He went a little white realizing that the squints would now know of his getaway. "Hey! Sweets!" The man called out abandoning his place in the line to walk over after noticing his friend. May's head snapped towards him. She raised both eyebrows questioningly at Lance and he shrugged.

"Hey Hodgins, this is my friend May. May this is Hodgins the entomologist at the Jeffersonian. He's on the team that I work with on some of my cases," Lance explained running a hand through his hair nervously. Hodgins grinned and shook hands with the girl. "Nice meeting you. Oh Sweets you may want to stop by the museum on Friday. Its Cam's birthday and we wanted to give her a little surprise party. I personally think the museum is the perfect place, with the cold temperatures and bones lying all over the place. The atmosphere is ridiculously festive," The entomologist said sarcastically before getting back in line. He just happened to take his former place back leaving a disgruntled man standing behind him.

Lance gave May a sheepish smile and apologized. "No need. He seems like an interesting guy," She reassured and gave the man a light pat on the hand. "Anyway, if you want to beat the crowd to the gym, you may want to go now. Oh, and mind dropping by before you head home later on tonight? I have something you might like to see."

He found himself growing excited at the idea and quickly agreed before hugging her goodbye. He walked briskly out of the store not noticing the light blush on her face.

~Bystander Syndrome~

Lance was not out of shape by any means. However, he found that he was experiencing a sort of adrenaline rush that allowed him to go a little beyond his typical border. As he ran on the treadmill, he pondered this new development and figured that his excitement caused his mental state of excitement lead his body to produce a large amount of adrenaline thus improving his stamina. Now, he sounded like Dr. Brennan.

After a two hour stint at the gym, he found his way back home and cooled down by watching a few movies. Lance found himself bored as time seemed to drag on and he busied himself by playing his piano and reviewing old case files to see if he would notice anything he hadn't seen before.

At about six-thirty, he finally abandoned all pretenses of patience and began to get ready to leave. He dressed in a simple outfit of dark jeans, his gym shoes, and a rather comical t-shirt. Grabbing his phone, his wallet, and his gun in an easily concealable holster, Lance left his home and hopped in his car. The drive took maybe two minutes, but he had no idea how long May wanted to keep him. The idea of walking home in the middle of the night had no appeal.

Lance parked in front of the small shop and walked in, taking a minute to examine the décor. During the day, the mismatched antique pieces in the shop made it seem cozy and homey. It had a light hearted air to it that didn't seem as forced as the earth tones of Starbucks tended to. Yet, at night the lighting of the shop made the atmosphere almost romantic and laid back. Judging from the multiple scattered couples, it was seemingly a hot pick for a date night.

"Hey Lance," May said walking from the back room. She had also changed from her earlier clothing and had on a sleeveless, knee-length blue sundress, and a white sweater. "I just got back from dinner with my parents. So, your timing is perfect. I'll be right back okay?" She told him before disappearing to the back once more. She had appeared and disappeared before he could even get a proper greeting out.

Lance made his way over to their chairs as he no considered them and stared out the window. The shop had a really decent view of city life as it was located on a relatively busy street. He was so enraptured with his view of the world outside that he didn't even notice May walk up. Grinning mischievously, she ran her fingers through his hair once. Noticing him jump, she let out a rather unladylike snort and sat across from him.

"Sorry to frighten you," She said and set a rather large book on the table. "It's fine. I was totally going to tell you that you look nice, but I'll just keep it to myself," He joked and smiled when she blushed a bit. "Thanks Sweets. You look good too," She told him and turned the book to face him. "Take a gander at this! This book is about fifty years old and it profiles the worst European serial killers from the 1800s until the 1930s. I went to an auction to get some things for the shop, and this came up too. I figured you'd enjoy this. Don't worry about paying me back, no one really seemed interested so I got a good deal."

Sweets had already started flipping through the pages and skimmed over some of the articles. "Okay, this is by far one of the most wicked things anyone has ever bought me. Despite the fact that most would find this to be extremely macabre, I freaking love this," He said leaning over the table to hug his much shorter friend. May laughed and waved him off. "Not a problem Lance."

The two spent the rest of the night laughing at their conversation and skimming through various backgrounds on some of the criminals in the books. It was not until after she finished closing that the two began to part ways. "How are you getting home?" Lance called after May after she began to walk away. "I was going to walk," She called over her shoulder.

With a couple of fast paced steps, Sweets caught up with her and grabbed her hand. "Not this late you aren't. I'm going to give you a ride," He asserted and half dragged, half carried the bemused blond to his car.

~Bystander Syndrome (2 days later)~

Lance drummed his fingers against his steering wheel and checked his watch impatiently. It was Thursday and he was running a little late for Cam's party. Well, late by his standards. In lieu of trying something new, he wanted to make it a point to arrive early to everything. He got up early, he was at work early. He even made it early to dates. In fact, his earliness was the reason why he was sitting out in his car, waiting patiently until he felt it was proper to go retrieve his date.

After dropping May off a couple of nights before, he extended an invitation to have her accompany him to Cam's party. She agreed emphatically and they agreed on the appropriate time for him to pick her up, because as it turns out, she was car-less. Not that he hadn't planned on picking her up anyway. Sweets quickly shot out of the car and up to her brother's apartment. She was staying there during her time off as there was no real need for her to try to buy her own.

Knocking quickly and bouncing from one foot to the other, his Oxfords making a tapping noise, Lance could barely contain his excitement. The seams on his blue dress shirt seemed too tight as he felt just about ready to burst out. Despite having taken the time to brush his hair, it was soon again a curly mess thanks to its constant agitation. Right as he was going to attack her door with more knocking, it flew open and there she stood. May stood taller in a pair of black heels and wore a one shouldered, nude cocktail dress. Her hair, which she usually had up in a ponytail was down and fanned down below her shoulders.

Sweets smiled as he took in her appearance. "You look beautiful May!" He said and kissed her cheek. Other than a few hugs, this was the most affectionate thing that had occurred between them, and they both blushed. "I bought some flowers for the birthday girl earlier. I'm a strict believer in showing up with some sort of gift. Think she likes sunflowers?" May asked nervously holding up the bouquet. "I'm sure she will," Sweets reassured her even though he wasn't really sure himself.

"C'mon let's go," He said and offered her his arm. She laced hers through his, but soon found they were holding hands because of the odd height difference. This didn't seem to faze them as they both chattered incessantly from the moment they got into the car, until they were walking hand in hand into the Jeffersonian.

Everyone was there with the exception of Cam. Angela had already staged a fake emergency call to get her over to the museum. They were simply playing the waiting game. Most of the bones had been relocated or had white tarp covering them.

May looked around in mild interest as they walked through to the lab. She had stopped talking as soon as the others turned to face them. Most of the squints looked on in curiosity, others in confusion. "Hey Sweets!" Booth called out to the younger man. The agent's hand was discreetly held by Brennan who had begun to show just a little.

Sweets steered the woman in their direction wanting to start off with the people he knew the best. "Hey guys. May, this is Agent Seeley Booth and Dr. Temperance Brennan. You guys this is May," He introduced them as May shook both of their hands. "Lance talks about you two a lot actually. They're all good for the most part," She said with a bright grin on her face. Brennan smiled back but Booth faked a frown. "The most part?" He asked crossing his arms.

"Well, you do apparently lay the age jokes on thickly. It's okay though. He does look like he's still in high school," She whispered the last part conspiratorially earning a light scowl from Sweets who still heard everything. "You're one to talk tiny. You look like a high school freshman," He retorted and the two began to verbally spar about who looked younger.

Hodgins, Angela, and Wendell looked on at the two friends. "Is that Sweets' girlfriend?" Wendell asked and Hodgins shrugged. "I saw them together at that coffee shop before but he didn't introduce her as his girlfriend. With the way they're acting though, no one can know for sure."

"I guess we'll be finding out then," Angela said and walked over to the still bickering friends. "Excuse me! Sorry to interrupt this little tryst but, hi I'm Angela," Angela interrupted the two. "Hi," May began grinning. "I'm May, you must be another friend of Lance's. Nice to meet you." She shook the other woman's hand and discreetly jabbed at Lance. "So May, how long have you known Sweets?" Angela asked curiously.

"Nearly three months or so. He just walked into my brother's coffee shop one day and got our most sugary drink and a muffin. We haven't been able to get rid of him since," May deadpanned at the last part and the psychologist scowled. "You make it seem like I'm totally a nuisance or something," He muttered.

"Only when you're on a sugar high," She countered breezily making him pout. Angela exhibited a rather vulpine grin as she watched how they interacted. "Wait, your family owns that coffee shop? I thought you were just another customer," Hodgins said trying to seem truly interested in the conversation, though deep down he was trying to get more information about the girl.

"Actually it's just my brother's. I started out as a regular employee to keep it up and running while he was traveling around looking for new products. I would have been starting graduate school, but I took a year off to help out. Plus, he's paying me for my work so that I can save a bit for school. Now, that we hired some people, I can supervise the employees and get ahead on my studies at the same time," May explained and leaned back against the table behind her.

"Family," interjected Colin bitterly from the other side of the room making the girl jump. "They are always detracting from our dreams and distracting us from our goals. His mother had called the museum three times that day. May looked taken aback. "No, it's not like that. My college years were rushed as I had started off as a sophomore. I double majored to get prepped for law school. Jameson just provides an escape for when I'm too proud to admit that I'm burnt out," May finished explaining. Sweets had a bewildered expression as the entire time he had assumed that she was the one doing her brother a favor; not the other way around.

Before anyone could say anything else, Angela's phone started to ring. "She's here!" Angela wailed and everyone rushed into motion. May found herself standing there awkwardly not really sure what to do. Sweets had walked away and was conspiring with an intern about how to avoid the balloons flying to the ceiling. Angela was pacing back and forth on her phone talking about a baby while Hodgins tried to calm her down. "What else would you expect if your dad is babysitting?" He said but his words failed to console.

Brennan watched the younger woman and walked over. "You are going to feel out of place here," She began, and caught herself at May's dismayed look. "What I mean to say is that you won't be comfortable until you get to know us better. You are still new. However, if Dr. Sweets continues to bring you around then you will be more comfortable." The anthropologist shrugged. It was simple really. "Oh, and with the way you're looking at him, anyone could tell that you are attracted to him. It seems to be mutual," She said in a low voice glancing up at Lance who seemed to be observing them, or rather May.

May could not focus beyond small talk for the rest of the party. Even when the birthday woman, a beautiful black lady named Cam, showed up, May's focus was pulled by the words of Brennan.

As she and Sweets pulled into a parking space in front of brother's apartment complex, he asked, "Are you alright? You've been kind of quiet this evening. I understand if it was a little awkward being around a lot of new people. I'm sorry I put you in that position."

May shook her head. "No, no. I enjoyed myself. I guess I was much more tired than I first thought," She muttered, and fortunately she yawned to strengthen what had originated as a lie. "Allow me to walk the lady up then. Just to make sure she reaches her bed safely," Lance joked and quickly got out of the car and opened her door. May could not help but grin and they both joked during the elevator ride and the walk to the apartment door.

"Well, I fear lady; this is where I must take my leave of you. I foresee no dangers for you here," Lance said smiling down at May. "Then, I must bid you goodnight," She responded. He reciprocated, and before he could walk away, she pressed a kiss to his mouth.

~Bystander Syndrome~

So, what did you think? Review please? I originally wanted this to be a one-shot, but I couldn't stop writing to keep it concise. It should not be more than three chapters hopefully, and then the choice of title will be explained within.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two months so far.

Going steady was a weird way of putting it. Sweets was a grown man and the word dating would have easily described the relationship he was in with May. However, to others, the innocent romance was reminiscent of only high school. It did not help that the couple looked really young, though Booth joked that Sweets _might_ look like a high school junior now. Just as he said he would, Sweets brought May around the Jeffersonian whenever he could get away with it. Despite this, she was not officially considered a member of the family that they so oddly formed. Everyone was still in the stages of getting to know her.

Surprisingly, the two to take a shining to her were Brennan and Colin. Ever since Brennan had talked to her at Cam's party the two hit it off to begin rather steady camaraderie. Brennan was often seen giving May some advice about her studies and discussing the finer points of law. Colin was the more unexpected to warm up. After answering one of his mother's numerous calls to the museum, she sympathized with him about a mother's tendency to be overbearing and why he was so morbid. May often sat on the landing while he observed bones and listen to him bemoan his life.

Whistling a random tune, Sweets practically skipped into Javana, hoping for a coffee and a kiss before work. He wanted to see his lily maid badly. The nickname was dorky, but he quickly started calling her that after he learned her middle name was Elaine. She was named for the subject of "The Lady of Shallot". May found it hilarious that he would think to call her that. The woman in the poem ended up dying because of the treachery of HIS namesake.

The employees were used to him by now and did not even bat an eye as he walked into the back part of the coffee shop. "Hey, Lily Maid! Just dropping in before-," He started before noticing his girlfriend was not alone. A man was standing next to her with his arm around her shoulders. "Oh! Lance, wow you have great timing. This is Jameson, my brother. Jameson this is Lance."

Sweets had imagined what Jameson would look like. In his mind's eye, he viewed a man similar to May: short, dark haired, and artsy. Maybe a bit eclectic too. Instead, he was face to face with an auburn haired, green eyed man who looked like he could bench press Sweets' weight.

"Uh…hi. I'm Lance. I don't know if May has mentioned it yet but we've been dating for about two months. It's nice to finally meet you," Lance stuck his hand out to shake Jameson's. "Oh yeah, she's mentioned you alright. I heard that you like the muffins," the man responded, his voice a deep, raspy, baritone. Sweets gulped as he grinned.

"Understatement. He practically survives off of them," May added contritely from where she sat, pouring over books. "Want to go to breakfast altogether?" She finally looked up with a smile. Sweets started to become nervous. "I'm not sure…I was going to ask you out to dinner instead. I really need to get to work," He said checking his watch. May tilted her head to the side and gave him a bemused look. 'Oh…why'd you stop by then?" May asked.

Sweets, ever smoothly responded, "I wanted to see you. That's all." This was finished with a smile and shrug. When she blushed, he knew his farce had worked.

"Ewww…" Jameson said and headed out of the room. "You have five minutes to get that gushy shit out of your system." Sweets did not get to respond before he was practically attacked by his girlfriend. "By the way," She said in between kisses. "I call b.s. about having to get to work. You'll have to spend time with my brother eventually."

Sweets shook his head with a wry grin and kissed her once more. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and peered down toward her. "So…about those muffins…" He started and his smile widened at her following laughter.

~BystanderSyndrome~

Sweets had not managed to get away with avoiding Jameson. In fact, he did end up spending a dinner with both May's brother and her parents. After some initial bashfulness, the dinner had gone well and he knew for a fact that her mother was a fan of his. During the dinner, Lance learned that May favored her maternal grandmother. May's mother, Suzanne brought out a picture of her mother for him to look at and compare to his girlfriend. The resemblance was uncanny. He also found out that Suzanne was the one from whom they got the muffin recipe. This led to Sweets practically singing her praise as the conversation flowed. May's father, Gregg, was gruff but funny, and had no problem telling jokes at the expense of his daughter's boyfriend reminding him greatly of an older version of Booth. Three months later, Jameson packed up and was on a trip to Japan for another tasting adventure.

"I don't really understand. After being here for three months, enough time to establish a set life here. Your brother just flies off on a whim to try out new recipes. I mean, I thought he was here for good. Especially with the amount of times you ended up sleeping over, because of his parties. Why not try the new flavors at home from local markets?" He asked one day while they were at his house. The history channel had on a documentary that he wanted to watch. He sat upright while she laid back. Her legs extended over his lap, and his finger idly stroked her calf.

"Because Lance, there's no adventure in that. For him, cooking is not just something you do. He feels that you have to literally live it; even if it means flying off to the other side of the world," She answered simply. "He has passion." Lance failed to see the practicality of it all, but he simply shrugged. "Whatever makes him happy." May made a face. "What?" "Nothing. That was just a complete mirror of my father's reaction." May moved from her original position and sat with her back against his shoulder.

Sweets grinned and pulled her hair out of its ponytail. "Lance, what are you doing?" She asked with a sigh as she flipped a page in her LSAT study book. "Nothing," He responded drawling out the last syllable. At this May's eyes narrowed and she turned to better look at him. He avoided her gaze and tugged playfully at her hair which was oddly out of character for him.

"Lance what the hell is going on in that head of yours?" She said and quirking and eyebrow. "Nothing, just that my girlfriend is really pretty. Beautiful actually," He said and she blushed. Then, her eyes narrowed. "You want something don't you?" May questioned suspiciously and snapped her book closed. She turned to look at him, with a quirked brow. Lance adamantly disagreed and ran his fingers through her scalp. Her roots were dark again with her natural hair color showing. A lot of people would consider it sloppy, but he thought it was cute on her. Her eyes fluttered closed and her body relaxed against him. Not one to ignore opportunity, he wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her on his lap with her back against his chest.

Despite having been in a relationship nearing seven months, the two had yet to get incredibly physical. Something Booth and Hodgins took the opportunity to tease them about whenever possible. Nothing ever escalated beyond cuddling and kissing. Yet, this…this was intimate. One hand played with her hair and the other was wrapped completely around her waist. Nuzzling her neck with his nose, Sweets held her tighter as she gasped and showered soft kisses along her neck and collarbone. May tilted her head to the side letting out a shuddering breath. Lance almost smirked while he continued to kiss her neck, but was cut short when she pulled away. With a determined look on her face, May turned to face him, straddling his lap, and kissed him with more fervor than she ever had. He lost his bearings for no longer than a moment before his hands trailed up and down her back; one pulling her flush against him, and the other entangling itself in her hair earning a soft moan.

It started to feel warmer between them as Sweet could tell both of their bodies were heating up. May was clutching him as if her life depended on it something that did not go unnoticed by Sweets as he suddenly stood. His hands held under her thighs and she wrapped her arms around his neck, never breaking the kiss. Thanks to a strength neither knew he possessed, they wound up in his bedroom upstairs. Within seconds both were tugging at clothes and wound up in their underwear. May kissed his neck and ran her hands over his back, before gasping and pulling away abruptly with horror in her eyes.

Lance winced and reached for his shirt to cover up the scars before she could see what she had felt, but May moved behind him and placed her hand against his back. "Oh my God," She murmured as tears welled up in her eyes. The scars were definitely old, but some were still raised. Shaking her head in disbelief, she touched each gently one as if willing them to disappear. Lance quickly turned to his girlfriend and held back a wince at the look on her face. "Lily Maid. May calm down please. I'm okay. I'm fine. This happened so long ago," He spoke softly trying to reassure her. Lance leaned down towards her and placed his hands on her cheeks, swiping the tears away with his thumbs. "I was a child and I got out of there when I was six. The Sweets adopted me and everything was better. I'm okay May, I promise," His assurances eventually work and May nodded slowly.

Her nose was red and she sniffed before running her hand over his cheek. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and pulled her close. Inhaling slowly, May closed her eyes and leaned against his chest. The heat was gone between them sexually for the moment and the two simply laid in his bed. Lance wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on her chest. May cradled his head with her hand and entwined her fingers with his. Within minutes they were both fast asleep.

~Bystander Syndrome (The Next Month)~

"How did you tell Dr. Brennan that you loved her?" Sweets asked as he slid into the seat opposite of Booth. The FBI agent looked taken aback as he cradled his coffee and slice of pie. He was getting a little break from the house while Temperance took Christine with her to visit Angela and Michael. Sweets question made him stop completely and he stared at Lance in disbelief. "Don't tell me that you're already thinking you're in love with May," Booth said as he sat up straight looking Lance in the eyes.

"I realize that it totally seems so fast really. I mean we've only been together like seven months now. That's hardly any time at all. I just… she's everything," Sweets attempted to explain. He never once looked away from Booth and sighed under his breath. "I need her with me. I… Booth. I'm a certified psychologist and a genius. I know every definition study and observation of love. I've written books. I experienced life without love and life with love. And none of those things even come close to how I feel about her. They are clinical analyses trying to put to words something that cannot be described. I'm in love with May. And you of all people better not criticize me for it."

Booth leaned back and crossed his arms with a grin. "Then, what are you telling me for? Go get her kid," He said and went back to drinking his coffee. Lance simply gaped at him earning an irritated look. "Did I stutter?" Booth asked not entirely forgiving for having his "me" time interrupted. Sweets scrambled out of his seat immediately and Seeley couldn't help chuckling at the expense of his friend.

~Bystander Syndrome~

"Why is there so much freaking traffic?!" Sweets wondered aloud. His long fingers tapped nervously against his steering wheel as he looked at the seemingly endless sea of traffic lights. Javana was typically five minutes away from his current location. Yet, it was taking him nearly fifteen minutes to get down the block. His talk with Booth had been eye opening to say the least and the young psychologist was beside himself with trying to get to his girlfriend. Lance wanted to sweep her off of her feet and he would do it in style.

The fresh bunch of Madonna Lilies on the seat next to him filled his car with their lovely scent. They were here favorite flowers. He honestly could see the appeal in them. They had a subtle beauty and smelled wonderful. Mixed in the bunch was one red tulip. To assist the distraught young man, the florist told him that a flower other than the rose that represented his love was a red tulip.

Finally getting closer to the shop, Lance could see that lights were flashing and he noticed that there was yellow tape up ahead. He felt as if someone had punched him in the chest as he hurried to park. Javana was blocked off by a mixture of police and bystanders. Sweets doubled parked next to the side walk and did not hesitate to flash his badge at the first officer who tried to stop him. "What happened here?" He asked the same officer and the man shook his head wearily. "Place got too popular for its own good. Had a pretty bad robbery. We caught the guys fortunately, but they're definitely getting attempted murder charges. Two employees got hurt. One of them was apparently the co-owner or something like that," The officer explained and immediately Lance ran towards the paramedics. "Where is May? The coowner who. I have to know. You have to tell me!" He yelled grabbing the other man by his shoulders. One of the other paramedics ripped him away from the man and started to push him away. "She's my girlfriend. Please," Sweets begged not even noticing the tears falling from his eyes.

Understanding dawned in the paramedic's eyes and the older man gave Sweets a sympathetic look. "You're a little too late son," The man was forced to pause as Lance let out a sob before he realized his mistake. "No! Not like that… they've already taken her to the hospital. You best get on your way there now. I'm sorry." Lance pulled himself together as best as he could and nodded at the man before running off to his car.

He drove nearly on autopilot as he sped through the streets of Washington. Tears of anger, frustration, and worry were streaming down his face. He vaguely remembered calling Booth and choking out the words, "May hurt" "robbery" and "hospital" before hanging up. He vaguely remembered finding a long term parking space and the trek to the emergency room waiting area. He vaguely remembered a nurse telling him that a doctor would come out and notify her parents first after she got out of surgery. All he could remember now was waiting.

Lance Sweets sat in the chair of the waiting area with his head in his hands. May's parents had arrived ten minutes after him, followed soon by Booth and Brennan. Apparently, Angela was taking care of Christine for them or something like that. He couldn't focus on the details really. Suzanne's on and off sobbing was the only thing that was tearing through his state. "Lance," Gregg's gruff voice tore across the room and the younger man looked up immediately. His red-rimmed, watery eyes met the sad, pained eyes of her father. "Do you know what happened to our daughter?"

~Bystander Syndrome~

**And I'm ending the chapter here. I apologize for the long gap between updates. I honestly feel terrible about it. Life has a way of getting in the way of things. As mentioned before, I own nothing but May, her family, and Javana. I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the last. I hope you will review and critique. **


	3. Chapter 3

The silence following the question was one pregnant with grief and fear. Booth spoke up before Lance even had a chance. "Sir, when Sweets called us, I immediately got in touch with the lead investigator," Seeley paused with a sigh, feeling weary beyond his years. "Javana was the next target in a string of robberies. Reports from witnesses state that May was trying to... talk the perpetrators out of it." Suzanne was forced to choke back tears and Booth once again stopped to let her get herself together.

"May was not hurt until after the culprits injured one of the other employees. She rushed to save them with a coffee pot apparently," Sweets cracked a small smile at the thought of her heroism. "Unfortunately May was overpowered, and ended up getting hurt. Apparently, the bystanders inside and out of the store waited a while before even alerting authorities. Even some witnesses from outside the store pretended as if they did not see anything," Booth finished with regret etched in his features.

Gregg nodded at Booth's words and went back to comforting his wife. "Genovese syndrome," Sweets muttered his features hardening. "English please," Booth asked confused with May's parents in a similar state. Bones took the chance to speak up finally. "Genovese Syndrome is more commonly known as Bystander Effect. Basically, witnesses to a crime will stand by and do nothing if they see others doing the same. It was given a title when a woman was killed decades ago near her apartment building. She cried for help and there were witnesses around, who according to reports, did not respond. That led to extensive research into what your daughter experienced as Sweets pointed out. There's a multitude of reasons why bystanders don't act. It's not exactly finite because the study itself was incomplete," Bones said glancing at Booth in case her words would have seemed callous.

Sweets' hands balled into fists as Bones talked and he realized that he was slowly becoming angrier and angrier. "I'll be back…I left something in my car," He said standing up. It was mechanical really, the way his legs carried him to his car. His stride was swift and full of a purpose he really did not feel. Sweets climbed into his car and leaned his head back against his head rest. In all honesty, his anger was taking a turn for violence. Lance wanted to punch something. Scream. Hurt. Break.

These were natural reactions to grief, but it was not a healthy state of being. A splash of color released him from his reverie and he looked down to see the lilies still sitting there. He had forgotten they were even there in his haste. Holding them with more care than he'd shown even the most fragile of items, he exited his vehicle and carried the flora with him. Only two people met him in the waiting room.

"She's out. Her parents wanted to have a moment with her first. They expected that you'd want to stay in there over night," Booth told him and Sweets collapsed into a seat. May was alright. She was going to be just fine.

~Bystander Syndrome~ (Next Day)

When May woke up the next day, the first thing she felt was sore. The next thing was thirsty. Breathing came easy enough, yet seeing was an entirely different story. Blinking rapidly, she encouraged her eyes to adjust to her surroundings. Her gaze was met with the familiar setting of a hospital.

"Oh my God. Oh my god. Oh my god," She said to herself over and over as she looked down at her body to see if she was still in possession of her limbs. Fortunately enough, her bed was at a tilt, so she could take inventory of her anatomy. The pain was more on the right side of her body. She looked at her arm, and a wave of nausea hit her like a flood.

A large bandage was wrapped over her shoulder and collarbone. She could see a red tinged spot towards the middle of it. She let out a shuddering breath and wiped her eyes as she laid back. Javana was robbed and she was shot. So was Michael, the other employee. May wiped away fresh tears because she was sure that he was much worse off than she was. He was new to the shop, but was quickly becoming a new friend. They always chatted during breaks about school, and their boyfriends. Michael was a gentle giant and genuinely sweet. He had emigrated from a small city in Argentina a few years before and was in his early thirties. May would ask about him as soon as a doctor came in.

A soft snore interrupted her thoughts and she turned in the direction quickly. This action was not without repercussion as pain shot through her arm and side. "Owww," She whined before taking in the sight before her. Lance's height was definitely a hindrance. His legs dangled over the side of the small couch in her room and she noted how uncomfortable his crouched upper body must have been. Resting on the ground next to him, was a bouquet of flowers; lilies to be exact. Nothing could stop the smile the stretched her face at the sight. They were her favorite flowers after all.

"Lance," May called out hoping to wake him up. He stirred and turned towards her, but his eyes did not so much as twitch. She sighed and cleared her throat. "LANCE!" Her voice was much louder and he sat up quickly. Lance moved to his feet and moved closer to her bed defensively out of instinct, before he realized that she was the one who tore him from his sleep. "May?" He questioned softly. Without prompt, Lance gathered her in his arms as gently as he could and held her close. May nuzzled her face into his chest and wrapped her left arm around his neck while her other lay limply at her side. "I'm so glad you're okay lily-maid," He whispered into her hair, placing a kiss atop her head. "I'm going to take care of you, I promise." Lance's chin rested on top of her head as he reassured her with his words.

He still wore the suit he had put on the previous day. It was wrinkled by now. There were bags under his eyes from the time he had spent watching over her. May could smell the scent of coffee on him as well. "Your mom and dad should be here soon. They stayed until a little while after you got out of surgery. Brennan and Booth may be stopping by too," He informed her and she nodded unwilling to pull away just yet. Lance placed another kiss on her forehead this time and pulled away to cup her face. "I was coming to you. I'm sorry I did not get there sooner. I was afraid that I lost you," He told her feeling relief flood his eyes with tears.

May gave him a watery smile. "I'm okay. I'm fine. A little beat up, but I'm alright," She attempted to reassure with no avail. Lance frowned and looked at her arm before meeting her eyes. "No you're not. They hurt you. You're in pain, I can tell. It's more than skin deep. You're going to have to deal with everything that follows: the scars, the therapy both physical and mental, the paranoia, and the nightmares. It could have been worse," He explained, eyes hardening. "They got caught. They won't get away with this, but their punishment is not nearly as bad as what I wanted to do to them when I watched you laying here."

It was almost frightening to see the typically laid back and awkward Lance Sweets so fierce. Deep down though, May knew he was right. It was going to be hard getting back to normal, and it would take a while. "I'm going to be there every step of the way to make sure you're okay," He promised imploring her to believe her with his earnest gaze. May could only nod in response. This was something new and only time could tell how long she'd be able to deal with it.

~Bystander Syndrome~

It took three weeks.

May was sick and tired of being coddled by everyone; and Lance was by far the worst offender. During the time she had been released, he practically moved her into his house. He made breakfast, made sure there was food for lunch, and usually picked up dinner on the way home. When she returned to the coffee shop, after days of arguing, he took it upon himself to drop her off AND pick her up.

The coffee shop was particularly brutal. Jameson had returned home for the foreseeable future. May knew he was still peeved at her over an argument revolving around her return to Javana. He wanted her to stay home, but she fought hard to stay. So, he had exiled her to the office in the back of the shop for revenge. Suzanne and Greg called their daughter once a day and stopped by for Sunday lunch.

It was overwhelming.

May checked the clock next to her with a sigh. It was just after seven, and the spot on the bed next to her was empty. The sound of the shower and faint singing uncovered where Lance was located. "Today is going to be different," She said to herself resolutely. She kicked off the covers and got out of bed walking to the kitchen. Her arm still hurt a lot, but she was able to work around it well enough to cook a decent breakfast for the two of them. Relying mostly on one arm to cook was not simple, yet May managed to do so anyway. Accompanied only by music, the young woman swayed around the kitchen while bacon sizzled in the frying pan.

Lance climbed out of the shower, ready to go wake up his girlfriend so that the day could get started. With his towel around his waist, he stepped out into the bedroom to find his bed empty, and his girlfriend nowhere in sight. He walked towards the front of the house, not even bothering to put on clothes. Sweets found her swaying and cooking when he stumbled in the direction of the music. For a minute, all he did was stare at her. He knew that she had been frustrated lately and that her patience was wearing thin. Yet, he did not know another way to both her safe and take care of her.

May began cracking eggs, being grateful that Jameson had taught her the one hand technique. She was completely unaware of Lance's presence. A hand brushed her hip, making her nearly drop the bowl of eggs. Snapping up immediately, her eyes took in the appearance of Lance's bare chest. Red faced, May's gaze trailed up further to see his face, with dripping wet hair clinging to his forehead and cheeks. "Umm… good morning," She murmured, not noticing the dampness spreading to her shirt from their proximity. Her voice was hesitant, as though she feared that he would make her go back to the room.

Sweets grinned and her heart fluttered at the look. "What's for breakfast?" He questioned nuzzling her hair as she turned back to continue preparing their meal. "Eggs, bacon, and toast. Nothing fancy," She answered relieved. Her heart was still pounding from seeing him in that state, but she brushed the feelings aside. "Sounds good. Let me go get dressed," He kissed her cheek and sauntered out of the kitchen.

Bewildered, May's eyes stayed rooted to the spot where he had stood, before she shook her head. Her relief in not having to leave the room was great.

By the time Sweets sat down at the table, fully dressed, May was setting his plate down in front of him. "This is all rather domestic," She commented as she sat beside him. "Took the words right out of my mouth," Lance responded through a mouth full of food. May grimaced at his lack of manners and then smirked. "By the way, next time you want to give me a heart attack, you should at least be completely nude instead of teasing me," She retorted.

Sweets stammered a little at her barb before quieting down. May smiled cheekily and turned towards him for a kiss. Unfortunately, she hit her injured arm against the table and retreated with a yelp. And, just like hat, the mornings' bliss had dissipated. Lance felt his heart plummet at the fact that all of their progress was lost. What hurt the most was the fact that May turned away from him, cradling her arm in its sling.

"May, are you okay?" He begged lamely. His words fell flat and were utterly fruitless. "I'm fine," Came the warbled reply.

She was crying and she did not want him to see.

She did not want him to touch her.

She was _lying _to him.

No longer hungry, he stood up from the table, unable to deal with this anymore. May shuddered and a gasp escaped. Lance was torn between wrapping his arms around her, or walking away. So, there he stood, aching as he watched her cry. He turned to walk away, but her voice stopped him in his tracks. "Lance, don't walk away from me. Please," May pleaded through tears. "I need you. Right now. Don't leave me."

Lance was frozen, unsure of what step to take next. To be honest, he was afraid of what he would be facing if he turned around. Not taking too much longer to consider what to do, Lance turned on his heel and walked back over to his girlfriend. Gathering her in his arms, he kissed her forehead while mentally berating himself for his stupidity.

"I'm sorry May. I've been so unreasonable but please try to understand that I'm afraid something will happen to you. I thought you were dead when I first got to Javana. I did not… I can't let something happen to you," He spoke as he held her tighter.

May sighed and pulled back slightly to look him in the eye. "Lance, you cannot prevent every bad thing that can happen to me. Smothering me the way you have been is just pushing me away. I lo… I want to be here with you, but you're making me weary," She finished and rubbed her eye as she sniffed.

His psychologist mind taking over for a minute, Lance loosened his grip on her and suggested, "We should stay in today and talk. It's the one thing we haven't really done." May nodded in agreement and the couple went silent for a few moments. She gathered herself together and he composed his thoughts.

Lance stood and took her hand as he guided her to the couch in the living room. Once they were settled, he began. "The day you got shot," He began and looked her in the eye. "I had just gotten through talking to Booth. I wanted to surprise you. When I saw the tape and the flashing lights, I just about lost it. One of the paramedics said you were gone, and I thought I had lost you forever." His explanation as somber, and it pained him to retell the story. May took his hand and kissed it in an attempt to comfort him.

"I understand why you are holding on so tightly…but you and everyone else are suffocating me. The bullet did not kill me, but you all are," She said gently trying to soothe the sting of the words she was uttering. It did not do much though, because Sweets flinched away.

It grew silent again, and Lance gathered the courage to look at her. He found himself struck by her appearance. Her hair was still streaked with blonde, but her skin was paler unlike her usual tanned hue. Her hands were clenched into fists, and her eyes were sad and earnest. They begged for him to listen. Begged for him to let her breathe.

Wetness on his face made him realize that there were tears streaming from his eyes. He held her hand tighter and clenched his eyes shut. Quickly, his hands reached out and pulled her onto his lap as he leaned his face in her neck. "Oh Lance," May murmured, holding him as tight as she could with her uninjured arm.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," He whispered, voice warbling. "I'll stop…I promise. Just don't leave." He kissed the side of her neck tenderly, and his fingers splayed across her back as he held her tightly. Lance took a deep breath and continued speaking. "But, you don't understand May. You don't have the slightest idea of how terrified I was. I'm so afraid that something else will hurt you. I just want to protect you…"

His voice trailed off as he moved to once more look her in the eye. "May, I'm so in love with you. I was going to surprise you and be utterly romantic. I was going to swipe you off your feet and whisk you away. Only, I arrived and was met with a crime scene and being told that my girlfriend was pretty much dead," He explained, trying to keep his emotions under control. "But you were alive thankfully, and I could finally tell you. I was so angry though about not being there, and so afraid that you would be taken away from me, that I instinctively pulled you closer. Too close, and now I've probably pushed you away." He was gasping and his hold on her became slack for a minute. May stared at him for a minute before laying her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too," She whispered and kissed the side of his neck. "I'm not going anywhere."

~Bystander Syndrome~

"Lance I swear to God if you do not calm down I will honestly kill you," Booth said running his hand down his face. "I concur with Seeley. Minus the whole God part," Temperance added as she pulled out her phone. Sweets bit his lip and bounced on the pads of his feet.

Angela walked in with Hodgins shaking her head as she put her phone back into her purse. "Why do I keep letting him babysit?" She groaned and Hodgins patted her back sympathetically. Booth's head snapped up and he was met with a glare from the mother of his child.

"I knew we should have asked someone else to watch her. But no, "Angela's father will be great Bones. He's a decent guy!" Bones began ranting and Booth winced knowing he was in for it.

Meanwhile, Lance continued bouncing nervously. The group of people congregated in his house was all friends, but there was one important person who was missing. Well, four if you included her family. "Where are they?" He wondered aloud checking his watch. It was May's birthday and he wanted to surprise her.

Yet, half of his guests were arguing about bad babysitting decisions. It was as if they hadn't learned from the last five times this had happened. Angela's dad was a pretty cool guy. He just was not the best choice for a babysitter.

Of his other guests, one stood in a corner arguing on the phone with his mother. Another three were talking about some scientific breakthrough, and the last was patiently sitting on his couch flipping through a magazine.

A buzz changed everything. "They're here!" Lance yelled, and immediately and electric shock of excitement hit the crowd. Most found obscure places to hide, while others tried to simply blend in. The sound of May's laughter made Sweet's heart race. "I wonder where my Lance is…" He heard her say to Jameson as she pushed the door open. "SURPRISE!" Everyone called out immediately. Hodgins' was a bit delayed.

May could not stop smiling. Her response to everyone was barely audible, drowned out by the congratulations and well wishes of the guests. Lance stood back watching the scene with pride and glee. She caught his gaze as her eyes widened while she smiled at him. May patiently dawdled amongst the guests before she could politely make her way towards her man.

Immediately, her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him close. "You are possibly the greatest boyfriend I have had so far," She said in a teasing tone. "Oh really?" He inquired pressing his hands on her waist. "Well, I'm hoping to be the last boyfriend you ever have." The last part was whispered into her ear. Naturally, May flushed accordingly, and Lance chuckled.

"Oi! Can you wait until after we leave to paw at my sister? I want cake!" Jameson ordered from the other side of the room. His comments made them both flush; May turning even redder than she had been before. This garnered laughter and more catcalls from their friends as Lance playfully scowled before excusing himself to the kitchen. Minutes later he emerged with a cake with two candles lit on it. "24 already," Her mother murmured. "They get old so fast." Her father grunted in agreement.

In a whirlwind, the guests sang, candles were blown, and wishes were made. After talking and eating for the next couple of hours, everyone was gone. May soon found herself helping Lance clean up the house. "Honestly lily maid, I can clean by myself. It IS your birthday. You should relax," He suggested as he tossed more bits into trash bag. Sway around his neck was a loss tie, and the top buttons of his shirt were undone. May danced around him with a broom, having long ago removed her shoes. "It's fine. I'm so grateful towards you for planning this anyway," She replied and leaned on her toes to meet him for a kiss.

As May pulled away and moved to leave, Lance wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeper than before. "You know, this can wait until tomorrow," He mumbled as his fingers found the zipper of her dress. Her response was cut off by his lips meeting hers, and the last sound before they made it upstairs was the sound of her zipper coming completely undone.

~Next Day~

Contented and pleasantly sore from the previous night, May was exceedingly happy to wake up in the arms of the man she loved. Twisting towards him, she gently placed her hand on his cheek. Something on her hand caught her eye and May sucked in a deep breath. "Oh my god…" She gasped as the ring glinted in the little light from the sun. It was a simple ring. The band was silver, studded with small diamonds and at the center was a slightly bigger oval, pink diamond.

Lance Sweets was woken up that morning by his girlfriend jumping onto him screaming "Yes!" over and over in his ear as she bounced.

Well, actually, fiancée would be a better term to use now.

~Fin~

**And that's the end of the story. I know this is a really long chapter compared to the others, but I really only wanted it to be three chapters. **

**I was a bit tempted to post a short sequel, but I think I'm going to keep this story short and simple. Plus, I may be writing another Sweets/OC pairing soon. Who knows? **

**I appreciate your patience and reviews. Every time I got an email about an alert/review, it made my day. So, I really do thank you all. Please review and tell me what you think of this last chapter. Thanks guys. **


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